ANDY IRONS WILL LIVE WITH US FOREVER !

Yesterday the surfing world had an invaluable loss with the shoking loss of one of the living legends, Mr. Andy Irons at the young age of 32 years old. The cause of death has not been identify yet, but he started to feel ill since las contest in Portugal. We Puertorricans will remember this great athlete with love and respect, not only for his unprecedented 3 times ASP World Championships, but for his human qualities and the love for the ocean. We regret his migration to heaven and send our purest love and respect to his family in Hawaii. In the other hand , our Dylan Graves won his 2nd round in Rip Curl Search 2010 and is in route to show his skills in the third round with the king, Sir Kelly Slater. Dylan, vamos a ti !





Rip Curl Pro Search 2010 - Puerto Rico Wildcard Trials

     We have the pleasure to announce you that we have an exceptional Puertorrican talent as the winner of the wildcard spot for a local surfer in the Rip Curl Search 2010, his name is : DYLAN GRAVES!
His dedication and habilities has giving him the opportunity to compete with the best 32 proffesional surfers around the world. Also to be a part in history if Sir Kelly Slater obtain a record 10th World Surfing Championship, and become the best proffesional athlete of all times. Also showing as Jorge Machucas performance in 1968, the caliber of surfing in this magic Island. Congratulations to Dylan , "Gracias por representarnos con orgullo"

WE ALWAYS RETURN TO THE LOCAL HAND SHAPER!

                    Nestor Ramirez Puerto Ricos's Master Shaper in action (circa 1980's).



     I was reading the latest edition of SURFER magazine and an article named "THINK LOCAL" stole my attention as I was reading ,my mind focused in the reality of the content and the simplicity of its meaning. When you read a surfing magazine your thoughts are transported to the possible reality of the actual pro surfers and their extraordinary habilities displayed in extraordinary surfboards. We start to day dream in a perfect wave in Uluwatu, Chopes, Bells, Pipeline or Tresles. We dream about perfect Al Merrick, Rusty's or a DHD surfboards in this perfect conditions. The money that this moguls put in marketing to proyect this dream is incredible, at the end we fall in this dream.
    If we want to get our holy grail in surfing which is a magic board, you have to "THINK LOCAL". The local shaper is the physician that know the cure for our disease, because they really knows you and get to know your habilities and limitations. The honesty in this relation is the key for success. He knows the waves that we surf, because he surf them and adjust your wavecraft to fit this wave.
   To get this goals we have to start a close relationship with the shaper, be honest and grow your habilities with  trial and error on your surfboards. Al Merrick will never have this interaction with you. But if we see his macrocosmos he had this long relationship with Kelly and Rob which has ended in superb wavecrafts. Even the WCT surfers think local, when they arrive to Hawaii, they think of Wade Tokoro, Erick Arawaka, etc.
   I think that the CAD machine is an excellent technologic tool , but at the end the shaper have to correct the lines of the clone that the machine cannot bend, using his hands.  Different materials are great, as has evolved after CLARK FOAM closed. But each material have their role and their population.
    In my opinion Puerto Rico have a unique breed of master craftmans that define all the qualities of the local shaper. The quality of their wave vehicles is higher or equal to who are considered best. We need to think out of the box and appreciate the high quality product of our local shapers. They are the ones that have the real tools to make your magic carpet.

ALWAYS, THINK LOCAL!
  
  

READY FOR THE RIP CURL PRO SEARCH SOMEWHERE IN PUERTO RICO!

As I mentioned in last post we have been blessed as the selected secret destination for the Rip Curl Pro Search 2010, named as somewhere in Puerto Rico. Once again our Island will be delighted to precense the best surfing and the best surfers in the world. Mick Fanning as the 2009 defending World Champion and the actual WCT leader the nine times World Champion Kelly Slater. The beaches that will held the event are Middles (main site) and Wilderness, both located at the northwestern part of the island. I wish that one of the usual winter swells hit the island during the event, to be a front line expectator of the superb quality of surfing that this athletes can show. This is the first time that the WCT choose the caribbean for this caliber of competition. ENJOY THE RIP CURL PRO SEARCH 2010 SOMEWHERE ON PUERTO RICO TEASER!

World Surfing Championship 1968, Rincon Puerto Rico

This is a piece of history in the evolution of modern surfing and the initial exposure of the world class waves that exist in my enchanted island of Puerto Rico. As I mentioned in previous post our representation was the novel Jorge Machuca showing the Puertorrican juice. Once again the history strikes, selecting our beautiful Island as the new site for the Rip Curl Search 2010. The ninth stop of the WCT, the possibility of a new World Champion and writing in the book of surfing history an unprecedented 10th World Title for the "Duke" of our times, Sir Kelly Slater. Will show the world that Puerto Rico is the eastern Hawaii !

JORGE MACHUCA THE LEGEND

Jorge Machuca was the first Puertorrican surfer that owned by his natural talent a world wide admiration. In the 1968 World Surfing Championship, held in Rincon Puerto Rico young Machuca impresed Corky Carrol and Fred Hemmings by his futuristic surfing. At only 14 years old, was the youngest surfer at the contest, showing new moves like floaters and switch stances. Jorge Machuca was the inspiration of new breed of surfers that started the spark of modern surfing. As a tribute to this legend I will use Machuca as a pseudonym.

WELCOME TO THE ALTERNATIVE SURF CULTURE

Hello soul surfers, will start a journey in our soul surf culture from now on. This blog will be focus in the art of surfing when the passion and feeling of surfing is generated by your purest thoughts.      During this journey will talk about real hand shapers and their art in making wave sliding vehicles . The need for a special care in our natural resourses to preserve our water playgrounds. Feel free to express yourself in this space which is reserve for us, soul surfers!